We can’t stop talking about Cooper Lutkenhaus.
Over the weekend, the 16-year-old phenom from Justin, Texas showed up to the USATF Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon to compete against pros in the men’s 800 meters–and he ran like a seasoned veteran. By Sunday afternoon, he was a U.S. runner-up, world under-18 age group record-holder, and a member of Team USA for the World Athletics Outdoor Championships in Tokyo.
Lutkenhaus had one of the most incredible men’s performances in U.S. history—and, again, the guy is 16 years old! It’s no wonder why Runner’s World readers can’t get enough of our story about how Lutkenhaus shocked the nation and qualified for worlds in Eugene.
To recap, Lutkenhaus made it through the first two rounds of the 800 meters to secure a spot in the final. He then went from seventh to second over the closing 200 meters of the final to not only place second and earn a coveted spot on the World Championship team, but break a slew of records with a 1:42.27 performance. He beat out Olympians and world champions, and even finished just .11 seconds behind Donavan Brazier, the 2019 World Champion who has had quite the resurgence this season after years of battling injuries.
If this is the first time Lutkenhaus has landed on your radar and you want to learn more about the mega-talented teen, we’ve been following his rise all year long and have plenty more stories you’ll love.
Lutkenhaus kicked off his sophomore year by breaking the U.S. high school indoor 800-meter record at the Millrose Games in February, running 1:46.86 and finishing sixth against many of the men he beat this past weekend in Eugene. During the outdoor season, Lutkenhaus broke the nearly 30-year-old outdoor high school record with a 1:46.26 run at Brooks PR Invitational, and then lowered it by nearly a second to 1:45.45 at Nike Outdoor Nationals. His 1:42.27 performance on Sunday took nearly three seconds off his own high school record.
Though we’ve never seen a runner quite like Lutkenhaus, we’ve watched other young phenoms capture the hearts of Runner’s World readers, including another prodigiously talented high-school standout in 2025.
Jane Hedengren–an incoming BYU freshman–etched her name in the U.S. high school record books during her 2025 senior campaign. She recorded all-time marks in eight track events, including an astonishing 14:57.93 5K record at the Bryan Clay Invitational in April. Some of her other record-breaking performances include a 4:23.50 outdoor mile in June and a 2-mile run of 9:17.75 at Brooks PR Invitational that same month.
While these record-breaking teens’ accomplishments will surely give you some great fodder for your group long run conversations, you might also be wondering how to harness your own potential like Lutkenhaus and Hedengren. No matter your age, we have tons of exclusive Runner’s World+ training guides and programs that will give you all the tools and tips you need to chase after your speedy goals.
Want to develop a killer kick like Lutkenhaus? Test out our one-mile training plans and our Guide to Strength Training to build power as a runner. Looking to run farther and faster like Hedengren? Dive into our How to Master the 5K program for expert-backed tips on how to train for and race 3.1 miles with confidence.
And we have more programs for everything in between, from crushing your first marathon to implementing the run/walk method to build resilience.
Become A Stronger Runner With These Exclusive Training Programs
Ashley is Editor of Content Hype at Hearst’s Enthusiast & Wellness Group. She is a former collegiate runner at UNC Asheville where she studied mass communication. Ashley loves all things running; she has raced two marathons, plus has covered some of the sport’s top events in her career, including the Paris Olympics, U.S. Olympic Trials and multiple World Marathon Majors.
